The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-14
PLAYING Mad WOMAN.
Nellie Bly, Too Sharp for the
Island Doctors.
NINE DAYS LIFE IN CALICO.
The Sun Finishes Up its Story Of
the Pretty Crazy Girl"


Furniture Goods. Bathed by Allen Hands.
Washed Regularly without Her Own
Help AFTER Every Meal OF Coarse Feed-
silly and Uncouth Companions, In whose
ChiIdish Pleasures She Did Not Joia-Her
Deception Observation-Disclosures OF Her
Adventure and Onlciai Accounts OF It.
On Saturday, Sept. "a, a modest, good
looking, and well-dressed girl who gave her
namo as Nellie Brown. was committed By JUS
tice Duffy in the Essex Market Police Courtfor
an examination as to her sanity. She was the
prisoner OF Policeman T. P. Bockert, who had
arrested her in the Temporary Home for
Females at 81 Second avenue. Mrs. Irene
Stepard. the Matron Of the Home. explained
all that was known about the girl to
the Justice. She said that Nellie had
come to the Home at noon on Friday and
spent the night there In a manner calcu-
lated to give the impression that she was
mad. On her arrival at noon and during the
afternoon she did not attract any attention to
herself whatever. In the evening she began
to develop peculiarities that pointed toward
insanity. She talked great deal about lot
OF her trunks that were unaccountably miss
ing. but she seemed to be unable to remember
where she had left them or where she had
come from.
An expressed conviction that all Of the peo-
pie around her looked crazy. and the fact that
she sat up all night in staring sleeplessness,
with her hat and gloves on. made Mrs. Stenard
and the rest Of the inmates Of the Home sure
that the girl was out Of her mind. Justice
Duffy was considerably interested in the girl.
and he undertook to get some Information
from her that would be Of assist
ance in determining what might be the
matter with her. His questions were
numerous and comprehensive. The answers
were rambling and lnconsequential. Any
question that bore upon her family relations.
place OF residence. or any definite point, was
met with silence or the reply: Il can't remem-
ber." An ambulance surgeon from Bellevue
Hospital was summoned. and the girl was
taken to the pavilion for the insane there. She
remained in 1t until Monday afternoon.
In the mean time she was examined by Drs.
Kunz. Field, Fitch, and BREASTED. They first
considered q theory that Justice Duffy had
suggested that the girl was suffering from the
effects Of some drug that had destroyed her
memory. This theory involved some such mo-
tive as the effort to hide some wrong to person
or property that had been done against her.
The doctors decided that there was nothing
In 1t. Their questioning Of the patient was as
resultless as had been that of the Justice. She
seemed 10 be unable to remember that she had
been in court or In the Second avenue Home.
and she ceased to talk about her trunks. She
persisted however, In talking more strongly
than ever about persons trying to kill her.
The physicians decided that she was suffer-
ing from dementia, with decisions Of per-
secution. Their decision and a commit
ment from the Supreme Court were the
means OF getting the girl into the lunatic asy-
lum on Blackwell's Island. Her stay there
lasted ten days. when she was taken out with
something Of the same mystery that attended
her appearance in the light OF publicity. She
left the asylum with a lawyer who signed the
usual undertaking that she would be properly
taken care Of. He said that a home had been
secured for her in an American family In this
city, and that she was an orphan, but had an
income from the estate OF her father.
PUZZLE SOON SOLVED.
The story Of her behavior in the Home the
proceedings in the police court, the STAY In
Bellevue Hospital pavilion. and for a day or
two the reports Of her condition from the
Island appeared in all the newspapers. TEE
Sun gave the facts in full from day to day ex-
actly as told by those with whom the girl came
in contact. The speoulations as to her previ-
GUS history and references to the paral-
lei between her condition and that
Of Hugh Conway's heroine In Called
Back" were not gone into In its col
umns. On Sunday Sept. as. 1t said: "The
circumstances surrounding her were such as
to indicate that she might possibly DO the
heroine OF an interesting story" and Warden
O'Rourke of Bellevue said that he considered
the girl humbug." On Monday. Sept 90, 1t
said: Nellie Brown is still In Bellevue Hos
pital. The doctors are not certain that she Is
insane" and 1t Is admitted that her case Is q
puzzle that will take several days to solve"
After her removal to Blackwell's Island The
Sun said; Her case Is diagnosed as melan-
cholia. but is considered very hopeful one"
Soon after she was discharged from the
asylum a rumor was heard that the girl was
pretender. that she never was affected men,
tally. and that she had taken the course she
did to secure her commitment to the Island for
the purpose Of writing about her experience
In tho asylum. This rumor soon settled
upon young woman known as Nellie
BLY, as the heroine OF the adven-
ture. She has been doing newspaper
work In New York for several months, and 10
the metropolitan correspondent OF Pittsburgh
newspaper. Her mother Is the widow OF q
lawyer. She Is intelligent. capable,
and self-reliant, and, except for the matter Of
her name to Nellie BLY,. has gone
about the business OF maintaining herself In
journalism in q practical. businesslike way A
few days after the release of the supposed Miss
Brown from the institution on Blackwells
Island. the rumors referred to were verified by
the appearance In the World OF ten-column
story, signed Nellie Bly," and purporting to
be an account OF the experiences Of the mys-
terious Nellie Brown. This story did not in
clude the history Of the stay on Blackwell's
Island. That is here related In detail for the
first time. being the result Of inquiries among
the stan and attendants on Blackwell's Island
by SUN reporter;
ON THE ROAD TO BEDLAM.
Nellie Brown or Moreno. enveloped In an at
mosphere OF mystery. and dressed In her own
clothes. reached the city Insane asylum on
Blackwell's Island at about p. NJ. Sept 20.
She was by far the most interesting patient In
the batch OF five that formed a load for the
In which she was transported from
the storehouse landing. about half mile away.
to the asylum yard She wore her gray flannel
dress trimmed with brown. her brown silk
Gloves her black sailor hat. trimmed with
brown. and the thin gray illusion veil that only